MOSCOW: A luxury superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov has successfully navigated the heavily restricted Strait of Hormuz, raising questions about access to one of the world’s most tightly controlled maritime routes amid ongoing US-Iran tensions.
According to shipping data from MarineTraffic, the 142-meter yacht Nord, valued at over $500 million, departed from Dubai on Friday afternoon, transited the strategic waterway on Saturday, and reached Muscat early Sunday. Its passage is notable as only a limited number of vessels—mostly commercial ships—have been allowed through the strait in recent weeks.
It remains unclear how the vessel secured permission to cross. Since February, Iran has significantly curtailed maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil corridor that typically handles around 20% of the world’s oil supply. Daily crossings have dropped sharply from an average of 125–140 vessels before the outbreak of the Iran conflict to just a fraction of that number.
The development comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions, with the United States enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports while Tehran maintains strict controls over Gulf shipping lanes.
Mordashov, a steel magnate with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is not officially listed as the yacht’s owner. However, records indicate that Nord is registered to a Russian company owned by his wife, based in Cherepovets—the same city where his steel firm Severstal is headquartered. The billionaire has been under US and European sanctions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, diplomatic activity continues in parallel. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is in Russia for talks with President Putin following recent consultations with mediators in Pakistan and Oman aimed at easing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
One of the largest superyachts in the world, Nord features 20 luxury cabins, a swimming pool, helipad, and even a submarine, underscoring its status as a symbol of elite wealth navigating through a region fraught with geopolitical risk.
